Previously erased from history and pushed into the shadows during his time was the tireless activist Bayard Rustin. His life and work were the inspiration behind this suite of materials designed for a mock event in his honor.

During research on Rustin I learned that he was a key figure behind many Civil Rights events and publications but remained unknown as a matter of saving face for the movement’s public image, until only recently. Considering his influence on the significant spoken and written words of the time I chose to focus on text and letters as prominent design elements.

The visual metaphor of being “hidden behind his work” was rendered through considered cropping, overlapping forms, and the use of printed transparency sheets. Turning the transparencies helps to engage the reader more closely with Rustin’s story and create the sense of actively uncovering this impactful figure. Moments of subterfuge to Rustin’s journey by outside forces were illustrated in the book by dark-colored, intentionally clumsy pull-quote shapes disrupting the regular flow of text.

For reliability and readability, Minion Pro was used for body copy with Rival Sans as headings and pull-quotes. Heavier weights of Rival Sans command focus and establish enduring strength while angled stroke ends add subtle dynamics.